The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of transportation installation, and, more specifically, relates to apparatus for the selection of an elevator cabin of an elevator system or the like.
In its more particular aspects the invention relates to apparatus for selecting an elevator cabin or the like for direct travel, from an elevator group controlled by means of a group control. There are provided storey call storages, controllable by means of storey call transmitters, and each elevator of the elevator group has operatively associated therewith a selector which signals or indicates the site of the elevator cabin. The apparatus is provided with additional storey call transmitters and additional storage elements controllable by such last-mentioned storey call transmitters.
The purpose of such type equipment is to be able to call, within a group of elevators, one elevator cabin independent of the servicing sequence governed by the relevant group control, in order to accomplish direct travel of the selected elevator cabin, for instance as is needed when transporting beds, stretchers or other conveying devices in hospitals in the event of an emergency.
An elevator system known to the art from, for instance, German Pat. No. 2,418,129, contemplates the provision of a collective control and an individual travel control. All of the elevators of the group continuously work with the collective control as long as there is no need to transport beds or the like. For the input of a bed call there are provided separate storey call transmitters. However, these are first capable of being used if they are activated when a bed comes into proximity with an induction coil. If there is present a bed call, then to the extent that a free elevator is available the same is selected and switched-over to individual travel control. The latter is equipped with a waiting or holding device, by means of which the storey calls are serviced in the timewise sequence of input thereof. The report that the elevators are free is delivered to a selector device, which also when there are free a number of elevators, only releases one of the elevators for servicing the bed call. If there is no elevator available for a bed call, then, the elevator which next passes the bed call-holding location, and which elevator is just in the process of transporting individuals, is stopped, and by appropriate signaling the passengers are requested to leave the elevator cabin.
The drawback of such type controlled elevator installations particularly resides in the fact that, also in the presence of a number of free elevators, only one single elevator is rendered available for service. Thus, there is not accomplished any group formation, so that there is not insured the most efficient determination of the elevator cabin which, in terms of its location, is most favorable for servicing the call. Only after reception of the call by the control is there rendered available a further unoccupied elevator, and the call, without taking into consideration its position in relation to the site of the elevator cabin, is processed in the timewise sequence of the call inputs, with the result that there can exist appreciable empty travel of the elevators.